168 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



effective for hardening the frogs and for stopping thrush. If 

 turpentine be employed, care should be taken that it is not 

 allowed to run on to the pasterns ; for if it does so, it may blister 

 their skin. 



If the animal be lame from thrush, it is well to syringe out the 

 parts for a few minutes with warm water, two or three times a day, 

 before using the application, which in this case should not be of 

 a tarry nature ; and we should keep him on green food. 



We should, if practicable, take the shoes off and keep the heels 

 and wall of the hoof as low as possible, short of making the horse 

 go tender, and should exercise him two or three times a day on dry 

 and soft ground, which, by filling up the cavities formed by the sole 

 and frog, will distribute even pressure over these surfaces. If the 

 exercise be given on a smooth and level track, the consequent pres- 

 sure will fall only on the horny prominences of the ground surface 

 of the foot. A month of this treatment combined with the other 

 remedial details which I have described, will generally restore the 

 frog to a healthy condition and to nearly, if not quite, its natural 

 size. 



If maggots be present, those within reach should be picked out. 

 The application of oil of turpentine, or eucalyptus oil, either by 

 itself or combined in the manner I have suggested, or a little pow- 

 dered camphor will remove any that may be left. 



If the sensitive frog, which will look red and tender, becomes 

 exposed, it may be treated with powdered burnt alum, tannoform, 

 or iodoform, and should be protected from dirt and other irritating 

 bodies by cotton wool, or tow. Here, the use of caustics or strong 

 astringents is not required. 



For remarks on thrush brought on by frost-bite, see page 116. 



In obstinate cases, give an ounce of liquor arsenicalis daily in 

 the food for a week or ten days. 



LEGAL ASPECT OF THRUSH.-In Barrett v. Preece (Shrews- 

 bury County Court, see "Veterinarian" for 1858, p. 235), it was 

 decided that the fact of a horse which was warranted sound, having 

 thrush, was a breach of the warranty. 



Contracted Heels. 



We may have this condition (Fig. 48) from causes which have 

 been described in the preceding article on " Thrush ; " from the 

 practice of the animal going on his toe by reason of the existence 

 of pain (as in navicular disease), or infirmity ; or from malformation. 

 As far as my experience goes, the only cases to be attributed to 

 deformity are those in which the coronet, at the back of the foot. 



